HELL. Данте Алигьери

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СКАЧАТЬ after I entered this zone of Hell,”

      he said, “a Hero crowned with victory

      40 passed through and down to pull out of the pit

      Adam and Eve and all His ancestry –

      Abel their first born son of righteous mind –

      43 Noah the just whose ark preserved mankind –

      Abraham patriarch of everyone –

      Rachel whom Heaven put such cares upon

      46 and wife of Jacob renamed Israel –

      lawgiver Moses, psalmist David too –

      and many more than I could tell or see

      He raised to Heaven where I will never be.” 49

      We passed as he was speaking through a crowd –

      men, women, infants who forlornly stood

      like rustling trees within a twilit wood, 52

      but gradually between them there appeared

      a light that grew much brighter as we neared,

      until I saw it was a dome of light 55

      with such fine folk inside I asked my guide,

      “Why are these brightly lit and set apart?”

      Said he, “Heaven ratifies the glory 58

      given by art and story.” A great shout

      rang out: “The prince of poetry is home,

      returned to us from distant wandering!” 61

      Four solemn figures came towards us then

      with neither joy nor sorrow in their looks.

      My guide explained, “Their leader with the sword 64

      first sang of warfare – also was the first

      to have his verse immortalised in books.

      His name is Homer. Horace close behind 67

      brought wit and satire into poetry;

      next, Ovid, singer of love’s mysteries

      and those transformed by angry deities; 70

      and lastly Lucan, singer of civil strife

      who knew that One in Heaven is lord of life.

      These four are reigning kings of poetry 73

      yet think (for it is true) I am the best.

      I must confer with them, which is their due.”

      76 The band of poets gathered round my guide.

      He spoke with them and then at his request

      made me the sixth in that small company

      79 of eagle-winged strong souls whose poetry

      outsoars the rest. My master smiled at this.

      We walked together, these wise men and me,

      82 slowly upon our way to better light,

      talking of things profound and good to say,

      six kindred souls within that gracious place

      85 until a splendid city came in sight,

      a stream of pure clear water flowing round.

      We walked on it as though it were dry ground

      88 then faced a gateway in a lofty wall

      with seven towers. Passing between two,

      I found a lovely space of smooth green lawn

      91 where noble people, moving gracefully,

      spoke to each other very quietly.

      I asked my guide, “Master of every art,

      94 what privileges these majestic folk, apart from obvious nobility?”

      He said, “Their names still famously resound

      97 on earth, and heavenly powers respect them too,

      believing privileges are their due.”

      We two then walked a little way apart

      100 up a small hill. Good light allowed a view

      of these great ghosts. Nothing so thrills my heart

      as thinking of these spirits I have seen:

      Electra, and the heroes she conceived; 103

      Hector; Aeneas ancestor of Rome;

      Caesar in armour with his hawk-like eye;

      huntress Camilla; Amazon warrior 106

      Penthesilea; first Latin king Latinus,

      with daughter Lavinia; Brutus who

      expelled Rome’s last king Tarquin; Julia – 109

      Lucretia – Cornelia – Marcia –

      standing apart, the mighty Saladin.

      Raising my eyes I saw the kings of mind: 112

      Aristotle master of those who know;

      Socrates close behind; Plato also;

      Democritus who said atoms and chance 115

      made everything; cynic Diogenes;

      Anaxagoras; the herbal healer

      Dioscorides; Thales; Orpheus; 118

      Tully; Livy; moralist Seneca;

      geometer Euclid; geographical

      astronomer Ptolemy; the doctors 121

      Galen and Hippocrates; and the best

      of Aristotle’s great expositors:

      Avicenna and Averroes. O! 124

      I cannot tell you all I saw because

      too many times my words demean my thought.

      My company was growing very small. 127

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